Screw driver



INNTOR Jose/. Bece'f v ATTORNEYS J. BECKER scREw DRIVER Fil-ed June '7,v 1959 July 8, 1941.

Patented July 8, 1941 Y, UNITED STATES Parentv i v u j"2, 248,054 i I1senevi/1Dinvita Josephfecker, Grant'wood;.N. I. Applicationuuneff, 1939, 'serial No. 217,801; f 's-olaims. 501.145-52') This invention Arelates to "screw drivers; yand particularly to; an instrument designed to' facilitate the handlingg'of'I screws; which 'are' employed in-setting 'bones-"which haveb'een'brokenz While thev device is 'particularly adapted: for use vas' a surgicalinstrument, it maybe utilized, linless expensive modifications, for'Y handling wood and machine screws;

' The technique of utilizingA screws in setting bonesis highly developed; It is particularly desirable; inV handling screws under the diicult conditions of surgical" operations, that; thescrew be held securely in" such ama-nner that it 'may be properly located; andl driven in the intended direction. Ordinary screw drivers are not adapted for the: purpose',v andinstruments-heretofore devised have not aiordedgthe desired precision' to permit satisfactory handling of the screws.

Itis the object of thepresent invention to provide a simple. and eiiicient instrument whereby screws may be driven` inJbone'structure;without danger of slippingA or -misdirecting the screw, the instrument being designedlso that itmay be thoroughly sterilizedf after each use.

Another object of the invention is theprovision of a screw driver in$ which the screwy may be gripped firmly, beforev driving is commenced", land which may be utilizedto drivel the screwhome without danger of slipping from` the screw`A head1 Other objects and;l advantagesfo the invention will be apparent as it is better understood by reference tothefollowng specification and the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a screw driver embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation partially in section of the spindle withdrawn from the shank and handle of the screw driver;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the shank of the screw driver separated from the handle;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating another working position of the instrument;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a portion of the screw driver showing another working position; and

Fig. 7 is a View similar to Fig. 6 illustrating another working position.

In carrying out the invention, I provide a hollow shank 5 which is sweated or otherwise secured to a handle 6. 'I'he lower or outer end of the shank 5 is provided rigid, or immovable with respect thereto. The claw has a claw 'I with a lateral opening 8 through which the head 9 of thefscrew may be insertedfandeiniwhicn the-screw is loosely held,. as 4indicated" in Figf.- until the device. is manipulated as hereinafterwdeseribed; The shank. 5; is provided a-tiitsrupper or inner end with slots yI0 adaptedtof receivenlugs IiI oni'the spindle I2 which extends through. thefshank--andl is. heldI against rotation by.'` engagement fo'ff thelugs H with;the slots t0..

A.` head L3', preferablyA knurled;or:.otherwise provided with a. roughened surfaceafas-findicated in Fig. 2, is supported;"onthezinnen-'end fef'ith'e spindle I2 by meansmf'avscrew'flIhhavingfa pro.. jection I5' whichv engages a. grooves Is 'the end of `the spindle;4 Thus-thez-'heack I3 is provided withza threaded. extension; Il; en.-y gaging similarA threads: in an-recess: `Irin. thevin.,

ner end of the handle l. -By=trurningithefheadrl;L the spindle I2 'may be. advanced 'or retracted' wit-hin they sha-nk. 5;

The lower `or outer fendi, ofi the: spindleflf. is bored or recessed to receive: the: driver =I9,afhaving the endy 25 extending-f. into; one ofrthefslotszslil-and engagingl the lug. I;I,, thus.. preventing: withdrawat ofi. the spindle-from the sha-nlm: `tliefiuistru.- ment is to be sterilized, the screw 24 is loosened, whereupon the spindle may be withdrawn and the entire instrument may be subjected to any suitable sterilizing operation.

In using the instrument, the screw is inserted in the claw after the spindle has been retracted by turning the head I3. The head I3 is then turned to advance the spindle until the blade 20 engages the head of the screw. The spindle ls advanced until the cupped end 26 thereof engages the head of the screw, as shown in Fig.5, whereupon the screw is firmly held with its axis aligned with the axis of the screw driver. The

blade will automatically enter the slot 25 in thescrew head when the driving operation commences. Thereupon the driving operation may be commenced and continued until the screw is firmly set in position.

When the head of the screw approaches the surface upon which it is to seat, the spindle I2 is again retracted by' turning the head I3, and the head of the screw is disengaged from the 'be rotated without turningythe' spindle'.4 The head:

Movement, of .the `driversis claw. `iThe-spindle is then advanced until the blade 20 projects from the end of the shank as shown in Fig. 6. The blade is engaged with the slot 25 in the screw and pressure is applied until the cupped end 2l of the shank engages the screw head as shown in Fig. '7. Thereafter the screw may be advanced by turning the screw driver without danger of slipping from the screw, the head of which is rmly engaged by the end of the shank 5 and by the blade 20. The screw is seated, and the operation may be repeated'with other screws.

As will be understood from the foregoing description, the blade 20 of the :driver is held constantly in engagement with the slot of the screw-` by the resilient pressure of the springV 2|. The hea-d of the screw during the initial driving operation is rmlygripped in the claw bythe end 26 of the spindle I2. In the subsequent operation, when the screw is seated, the blade 20 is similarly held inthe slot by. resilient pressure, and the screw driveris .prevented from slipping by engagement .of the end of the shank 5 with theA head of ythe screw.. The structure as described is simple and eicient. It permits the placing anddriving of screws under the most difficult conditions of surgicaloperations, perl mitting the surgeon to 'control .and direct the screw precisely. Thelscrew. cannot slip orwobble or. get-out of line, and yconsequently opera-v Vtio'n ;is.r.completed quickly and withV assurance that` the. screw. is properly placed.

Whileythe screw driver as. described is particularly adaptedffo'r surgical.v use, it has-obviously many .applications in .handling wood and *ma` chinei screws."v For vsuch work, the structure may be simplified, and consequently less expensive.. f Fory surgical use, the device isr constructed preferably of stainlesszsteel' and aluminum, but other and less |costly materials maybe employed where thenecessity for `sterilization of the instrumentisnotapresent. v

' Vafriouslchanges may be made in the structure and. details of f operation without departing fromthe invention ori sacriiicing any of the advantages thereof.

w1. Afscrew'driver comprising aishankv and handle, the shank being provided with a claw at .one` endto receive the head of a screw, said' claw ybeingimmovable with respect to the shank, afspindlelongitudinally ymovable in the shank andhavingan outer end adapted to engage the head of screw seated on said claw, means for causing said outer end of the spindle to hold a screw firmly on said claw after the outer end of the spindle engages the head thereof, said spindle having a longitudinal bore in its outer end, a driver having a blade resiliently biased and longitudinally movable in said bore, and means for maintaining said blade non-rotatably in said bore aiter the outer end of fthe spindle engages the head of a screw seated on said claw.

2. A screw ldriver comprising a shank and handle, said shank being provided with a claw at one end to receive the head of a screw, said claw being immovable with respect to the shank, a spindle longitudinally movable in theshank and having an outer end adapted to engage fthe head of a screw seated on the claw, means for causing said outer end of the spindle to hold a screw firmly on said claw after the outer end of the spindle engages the. head thereof, said spin-- dle having a longitudinal bore in saidouter end, a ydriver having a blade resiliently biased and longitudinally'movable in said bore, means lfor maintaining said blade non-rotatably in said bore afterthe -outerend ofthespindleengages the head of a screw seatedon said claw, .and means normally holding the spindle and rshank inv assembled relation and permittingvseparation thereof. r 3. .A Yscrew vdriver comprising a handle, a shank having-'one end rigidly secured in said handle in axial alignment therewithndhaving a claw' at itsbther endfimmovable with respect thereto to forni a seat for the head of a screw, a, spind1e longitudinally but rnon-rotatably. movable in VVsaid shankand having an outer end adapted to vengage thehead of a screw seated on saidV claw, said spindle lhaving an axial boreat its outer end, a blade resiliently biased lo-ngitudinally but nQn-,rotat'ably-in saidwbore,y ahead receiving the innen endY of Ythe spindle, means toretainthe spindle rotatably in said head,vsaid handle having .a threededrortion at its .inner end, 4and the head having aV correspondingly threaded portionfengagingthe threaded portion of the handle,I whereby rotation of the. head in one-,direction with respect ,to the. handle will cause saidspindle to Ymove,longitudinally out.-r vvardlyl in said shank andwill causeutheroute1 end of, the lspindle, to engage and rmly hold'a screw,- thehead of which is seated on said claw.

. JOSEPH BECKER. 

